Oreo
Oreo (/ˈɔːrioʊ/; stylized in all caps) is a brand of sandwich cookie consisting of two cocoa biscuits or cookie pieces with a sweet fondant[3] filling. It was introduced by Nabisco on March 6, 1912,[4] and through a series of corporate acquisitions, mergers, and splits, both Nabisco and the Oreo brand have been owned by Mondelez International since 2012.[5] Oreo cookies are available in over one hundred countries.[2] Many varieties of Oreo cookies have been produced, and limited-edition runs have become popular in the 21st century.
For other uses, see Oreo (disambiguation).Product type
- Mondelez International
- Nabisco
- Cadbury
- Continental Biscuits Limited
March 6, 1912[2]
Worldwide
"Wonderfilled"
"Milk's favorite cookie"
"Only Oreo"
"Stay Playful"
Etymology
The origin of the name "Oreo" is unknown, but there are many hypotheses, including derivations from the French word or, meaning "gold", or from the Greek word ωραίο (oreo) meaning "nice" or "attractive".[7] Others believe that the cookie was named Oreo simply because the name was short and easy to pronounce.[8] Another theory, proposed by the food writer Stella Parks, is that the name derives from the Greek Oreodaphne, a genus of the laurel family, originating from the Greek words 'oreo' (ωραίο) meaning 'beautiful' and 'daphne' (δάφνη) referring to the laurel. She observes that the original design of the Oreo includes a laurel wreath, and the names of several of Nabisco's cookies at the time of the original Oreo had botanical derivations, including Avena, Lotus, and Helicon (from Heliconia).[9][10]
International distribution
Oreo cookies are distributed worldwide through a variety of sales and marketing channels. As their popularity continues to grow, so too does the amount of distribution that comes with it. According to the Kraft Foods company, the Oreo is the "World's Best Selling Cookie".[32] In March 2012, Time magazine reported that Oreo cookies were available in more than 100 countries. Overall, it is estimated that since the Oreo cookie's inception in 1912, over 450 billion Oreos have been produced worldwide.[17]
Oreos were first introduced into Britain through the supermarket chain Sainsbury's. For several years, this was the only supermarket chain in the UK to stock the Oreo until May 2008, when Kraft decided to fully launch the Oreo across the whole of the UK. Its packaging was redesigned into the more familiar British tube design, accompanied by a £4.5M television advertising campaign based around the "twist, lick, dunk" catchphrase.[33] In a 2020 national poll the Oreo was ranked the 16th most popular biscuit in the UK, with McVitie's chocolate digestive topping the list.[34]
In the UK, Kraft partnered with McDonald's to introduce the Oreo McFlurry (which was already on sale in several other countries, including the US) into McDonald's locations across the country during its annual Great Tastes of America promotions; in October 2015, the Oreo McFlurry then became a permanent menu item at McDonald's in the UK. An Oreo-flavored "Krushem" drink was also on sale in KFC stores across Britain.
The ingredients of the British Oreo (as listed on the UK Oreo website) are slightly different from those of the US Oreo. Unlike the US version, the British Oreo originally contained whey powder, which was not suitable for people with lactose intolerance. Additionally, as the whey powder was sourced from cheese made with calf rennet, the British version was also unsuitable for vegetarians.[35] On December 6, 2011, Kraft announced that production of Oreo was to start in the UK with their Cadbury Trebor Bassett factory in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, being selected to manufacture Oreo in Britain for the first time. Production began there in May 2013.[36]
Oreo cookies were introduced onto the Indian market by Cadbury India in 2011.[37] In Pakistan, Oreo is manufactured and sold by Continental Biscuits Limited under the LU brand.[38] In Japan, Oreo and other Nabisco products were produced by Yamazaki Baking until Mondelez terminated their licensing deal in favor of moving production to China.[39] A year later, Yamazaki introduced their version of Oreo called "Noir", which is produced at the former Oreo factory in Ibaraki Prefecture.[40]
Advertising campaigns
You Can Still Dunk in the Dark
When the lights went out during Super Bowl XLVII in 2013, Oreo immediately parodied the event on social media with a "You Can Still Dunk in the Dark" post. The post earned 15,000 retweets and 20,000 Facebook likes in just an hour.[70]
Oreo Daily Twist
Oreo Daily was a social media campaign celebrating Oreo's 100th birthday. Every day, from June 25 to October 2, Oreo posted ads of their cookies transformed into something new to celebrate national holidays, pop culture milestone, and key moments in American history. Some notable ads in the campaign honored the Mars rover landing, Elvis week, the invention of Pac-Man, and the release of The Dark Knight in theaters, all using reinvented Oreo cookies.[71]
Dunk Challenge
In 2017, NBA player Shaquille O'Neal starred in an Oreo commercial to promote their #OreoDunkSweepstakes. In the ad, O'Neal can be seen performing an acrobatic slam dunk of an Oreo cookie into a glass of milk. Fans could show off their own dunking abilities for the chance to win cool prizes.[72]
